US-Schuhriese Skechers streicht sicheren Hafen 

SKECHERS, an American shoe giant best known for its sportswear and casual shoes, agreed this week to be acquired by 3G Capital, a Brazilian private investor, exiting the market after more than two decades of listing and becoming a private company.

Most of the production lines of large U.S. footwear companies such as Skechers are concentrated in Asia, and the U.S. government has put great pressure on these companies by playing tariff cards. This acquisition is particularly interesting in this context.

Skechers has about 5300 retail stores worldwide, and two-thirds of its revenue comes from sales outside the U.S., according to U.S. financial-data-analysis firm Wischen Research Systems. According to the American Apparel and Footwear Association, about 97 percent of clothing and footwear purchased by U.S. consumers at home is imported, mostly from Asia. The US media also said in recent reports that the American Footwear Wholesalers and Retailers Association has submitted a letter to the White House signed by 76 footwear brands such as Nike, Adidas, Skechers and Anderma, indicating that the US government’s tariff policy poses a “survival threat” to the footwear industry and requires exemption.